You Need an Online Presence, and Here’s Why

This post is sponsored by Top 10 Website Builders, who compensated me for my honest opinions about their products. All opinions are my own.

No matter what industry your business is in, a strong online presence is a necessity these days. Here are the main reasons why you’ve got to get online.

You Need To Be Seen

It’s time to stop and think about the percentage of your customers who are online if you haven’t already done so. More people are turning to shopping online, and a rising number of them are using their smartphones to buy products and services.

Not convinced? Check out these statistics. A recent survey reported by Fortune business magazine found that of the 5,000 customers polled, 51 percent of them made buys via the internet. This number is up from the two prior years by 3 and 4 percent respectfully. Also, nearly half of the smartphone users (44 percent) made purchases using these mobile devices, which was up from 41 percent the year before.

What are the implications of this shopping trend for you as a business owner? It means that you need a website that not only catches customers’ eyes with attractive content but loads pages quickly, so they don’t click off your site rather than waiting through a longer load time. A mobile-friendly website is imperative to be seen, given the above-noted stats on smartphone users. Doing so is easier with top 10 website builders who narrow down the best website builder for your skill level to strengthen your online presence.

You’ll also need to increase visibility online by boosting your search engine rankings and crafting content for readers that is totally unique, publishes regularly, and interests your audience. Lastly, be seen online by creating profiles on business directories, such as Foursquare and Yelp. These mobile directories are ones that your audience are likely to use on the go – be seen in their searches!

Social Interactions Bring in Sales

Whether you’re a small or big business, or somewhere in-between, you can grow it via social media platforms. Start by setting up a business profile on Facebook and other social channels where your audience “lives.” Not only are Likes on Facebook endorsements for your company but they are also ways to encourage more eyes on your business and remind people about your brand. In addition to Facebook, significant traffic can also come from Twitter and LinkedIn profiles, as per Inc.com.

Plus, it can be a great experience chatting online with your customers (existing and potential) as you ask them questions and answer ones they have too. Also, you may just find out what new products they are looking for, which could mean you expand your existing product line to include these new models that are in demand. Your audience will appreciate the great customer service and are more likely to remember you the next time they’re in the market for the type of product or service you offer.

While social media can take up a fair bit of time, there are tools available, such as Buffer, that make it easy to coordinate your online profile, such as setting up when new posts will share to Twitter or Facebook. There are often basic free options available via these applications so you can test them out and see which ones work best for you.

Marketing Happens Over Email Too

Email marketing is not a thing of the past, no matter what you may have heard. An effective email campaign can help you touch base with existing clientele, tell them about your website updates and new products or services, and encourage them to share your content across social media.

Thus, email marketing is what links your all of the above points together in one fell swoop. What it takes to have a successful email marketing campaign will differ by industry, but the point here is that it’s necessary for developing your online presence.

Are you taking steps to grow your online presence? If so, what have you found to be successful online in regards to your business?

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21 thoughts on “You Need an Online Presence, and Here’s Why”

Great advice, Christy! I think you know by now, blogging is my favorite form of social media. I believe it allows you to build relationship and friendships that go much deeper than a Facebook Like. Is it more time consuming? You bet, but I think it’s worth it.

I don’t have a business, but I would totally agree with this and think it’s spot on. The Internet and power of technology, not to mention it’s ever growing role in our lives, will continue to rule the roost and take over, so having a strong online presence will continue to be valuable and even expected. x

I’m so glad I came across your article! I’m about to launch my online store and I now see that in order to be successful I need to have an online presence; and a strong one at that! Thanks for sharing!!